


Girl with the Golden Legs

by sirladyknight



Category: Eyeshield 21
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Anxiety, Bullying, Cuddling, Dom/sub Undertones, F/M, Fem!Sena - Freeform, Female Kobayakawa Sena, Hiruma Is The Literal Worst Boy, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jealousy, Minor Violence, Possessive Behavior, Sickfic, Sister Complex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2018-08-16 15:52:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8108359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirladyknight/pseuds/sirladyknight
Summary: Word prompts revolving around Fem!Sena. Multiple Pairings, romantic and platonic. One-shots, sometimes follows linear plot, but can jump around in the timeline.





	1. High

**Author's Note:**

> Pairings: Sena/Kakei, slight Sena/Hiruma. Platonic Sena/Mizumachi.
> 
> Word Prompt: High.

It started sometime during her first visits to Kyoshin High School, at football practice Mizumachi began an odd habit of picking Sena up and placing her on his broad shoulders.

The former swimmer would cheerfully hoist her up with massive hands when she came within reach, even as she babbled in distress at such childish treatment. Objecting proved futile and she couldn’t very well _jump_ down since the teen was 203 centimeters tall or roughly 6’7” in American terms. Her legs were her greatest asset after all, Hiruma told/warned her, and she couldn’t risk them.

It terrified her at first, being up so high. Perched on the shoulders of a giant, even small, slight Sena began to feel powerful. She had never been able to look down at anyone before, and all of the players that had towered over her now rested underneath gaze. It was… oddly satisfying.

Sena swiftly grew accustomed to the strange habit, no longer protesting or dodging, although she was very capable of avoiding him. Mizumachi picked her up almost absentmindedly after the fourth or fifth time, not seeming to realize he was doing so and truthfully she began to look forward to it. Even tugging on his shirt meaningfully during the rare times he forgot.

Resting her crossed arms on his head, she surveyed the surrounding football field like a queen would her kingdom, albeit a nervous queen who would duck at first anytime someone looked at her. His gravity defying hair was thick and comfy, easy to hide behind and grab when she felt her balance shift. He didn’t even seem to mind when she occasionally braided a few locks during her time up there.

“Mizumachi, must you always do this?” Kakei asked tiredly, handing him a water bottle to pass to Sena, who accepted it with thanks. He had protested at when the ritual first began, attempting to remove her physically a few times, but Mizumachi would run away laughing, clutching Sena’s legs to keep her steady as she gripped his head in terror. So he stopped, for the sake of her safety.

The taller lineman grinned widely. “What? She likes it, right, Sena-chan?”

She tugged at a few strands of his blond hair, playing to hide her embarrassment. “We-well, it is nice feeling tall, for once.”

“See?”

Kakei sighed, looking up to raise an eyebrow at her. She smiled shyly back, reveling in the fact he had to tilt his head upwards to make eye contact. It was silly, she knew it, but everything about this was silly. Kicking her legs a little, she looked around again, hoping to spot someone else to look down on. The Kyoshin Poseidon was famous for being the tallest football team in Japan, but not from her position.

She muffled a giggle when Hiroshi Ohira and Hiroshi Onishi passed by, arguing as usual and unfazed by the odd shenanigans of their teammate. ‘Taller than even those two,’ she thought and smiled smugly with another slight laugh.

Mizumachi tilted his head at the soft noise and tugged at her ankle. “Ey, whatcha laughing at up there, Sena-chan?”

“O-oh, nothing, it’s just, well, um,” she chattered, before slipping up and telling the truth. “It’s just, I’ve never been able to look down on people before and, uh, other players don’t look so scary from up here.”

Huffing once, Kakei responded first, staring casually away at the practice match in process, “If you like it that much, I suppose I can carry you around occasionally as well.”

Her eyes went wide. “Ehh?! Um, no need, Kakei-kun, really! It’s fine!” She objected politely, furiously waving her hands in front of her.

“No way, I’m the one who first did it, it's my responsibility!” Mizumachi shot back, tightening his grip on her ankles again, like he was going to make a run for it.

Sena grabbed his hair for dear life, yelping, “Ah, Mizuma-nii, please, be careful!”

Both linemen became abnormally quiet and she gulped, fearing she had said something to offend them. “Sorry, I’m sorry, you both can take turns!”

From her view, Kakei ducked his head, but not before she could see a blush build on his cheeks.

“Oi, watch what you’re thinking about my little sister, pal,” Mizumachi warned, straightening even more.

‘Sister?’ Sena thought back for a few confused seconds before she remembered her words. Mizuma-nii, she had called him her brother. She let out a shrill cry, burying her head in his hair again, flushing feverishly. “I didn’t mean to overstep my place and imply that close of a relationship; I sincerely apologize and take back my previous statement!” She let out in a rush.

“Wah, no, you can’t take it back! I already claimed you as family! No take backs!” He pouted, tilting his head all the way back to frown at her.

Sena laughed anxiously. “Well, if you don’t mind then…”

“What about you, Kakei? Wanna be a brother, too?” Mizumachi smirked knowingly at the blue-eyed lineman, who wouldn’t meet Sena’s eyes.

He spoke firmly, “I would prefer not be associated as such to her.”

“Oh,” Sena let out after a moment. She fiddled half-heartedly with the blond’s hair as he glared at Kakei silently. “I-I understand.”

“No! I didn’t mean,” he cut himself off, his perfectly collected demeanor breaking as he fumbled to explain himself. “I just meant, I don’t want you to think of me as a brother.”

She shrunk further down, eyes watering slightly. “I see.”

“It’s not like that! I want you to see me as a man!” He said, probably more forcefully than he intended.

Mizumachi and Sena stared at him, one grinning like a Cheshire cat while the other turned a lovely shade of red.

“Ah.” They both said at the same time, in two drastically different tones.

The other part of Poseidon’s Golden Pair stared in subtle horror at nothing in particular, unable to believe what he had said aloud. A tense silence fell over the small group, only Mizumachi seemed to be comfortable enough to smile. The girl on his shoulders clung to him for dear life as the world around her spun, the blush on her face seeming to have taken permanent residence there.

Sena’s cellphone went off, breaking the quiet as she scrambled for it.

“H-hello?” She answered, already getting a bad feeling and forgetting to check the number beforehand.

“Where the hell are you, fucking brat?! You’re late for practice!” Hiruma’s voice roared over the phone, forcing her to hold it away from her ears.

“Ehh!?” She checked her watch and saw that he was right, of course. “I’m on my way!”

“Ah, bummer,” Mizumachi sighed in disappointment, taking her down off his shoulders. Kakei frowned disapprovingly at the Deimon captain’s harsh manner, but inclined his head in farewell as the girl prepared herself to leave, the phone still at her ear.

“Wait.” Hiruma stopped her, sounding suspicious. “You didn’t answer me. Where are you at now?”

“Uh,” she hesitated, unsure of how much worse it would be to lie or tell him the truth that she was visiting the Poseidon players.

“Sena-chan,” Hiruma purred, the pleasant way he twisted her name on his tongue made her blood freeze in her veins. Her mouth refused to reply, locked in sheer terror, as the seconds passed and his fury became a tangible force through the phone. Her face paled as she realized it couldn’t get any worse.

Until Kakei took the phone from her stiff hand and answered, tone defiant, “She’s here at Kyoshin High School.”

A muffled scream grew in her throat as she stared at him.

“Oh, I see,” she heard Hiruma say, cheerfully. Weeping internally, she gripped the edges of her school shirt until it was on the verge of tearing. “Tell that fucking shrimp that when she’s done, I’ll be waiting for her in the clubroom.”

“Very well. Goodbye, Deimon.”

“Fucking bye.”

Sena shrieked, snatching the phone out of his hand and racing at top speed for the field exit, right through the practice game. She dodged around the startled players with ease and flew down the corridor to the outside city. Letting out a sobbing breath, she pushed herself to go faster.

Mizumachi watched her rapidly retreating form, marveling at the speed and agility her tiny legs could generate before turning to his teammate. “You know you just made it even worse for her, right?”

Kakei blinked and frowned guiltily. “I… hadn’t thought of that.”

Mizumachi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He already missed the weight on his shoulders. “Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one with common sense on this team.”

“Please don’t say such things, it makes me ill.” His friend replied back instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and suggested pairings are welcome.


	2. Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Sena/Hiruma. 
> 
> Word Prompt: Smile.

As fast as she was running, Sena knew it was already too late. Hiruma was going to punish her regardless of how soon she got back to Deimon High, but she hoped that if she got there quickly enough that some of the others would still be there. They might distract him and any little attempt at soothing his ire was worth a shot. She entered the school grounds and headed directly towards the football field, wanting to see it before anything else.

Her heart clenched in her chest. It was empty which meant practice was already over and no help would be found.

Still speeding, she turned the corner and the clubroom came into view. Skidding to a stop in front of it, she gulped. The door had never looked so big before. Her previous experience of being up high on Mizumachi’s shoulders had only intensified her own understanding of how small she truly was. Reaching out a shaky hand, she grasped the door handle, turned it, and pushed slowly.

Maybe, she hoped desperately, he left already? She took a hesitant step forward.

The sound of a gun being cocked rang out behind her.

Maybe not.

“Hi-Hi-Hiruma-san!” Sena yelped, spinning on her heel and raising her hands in front of her in a gesture of surrender, recoiling as if waiting for a blow.

“Inside. Move it.” He gestured with his gun, a heavy looking pistol. She wasn’t familiar enough with weapons to name the exact type and his peculiar lack of viciousness was making her too apprehensive to make a guess.

Stepping hastily forward into the room, she turned again to face him and knelt on the floor, head bent and hands folded in front of her. “I-I beg for forgiveness, I promise not to do it again.” She was proud for only having stuttered once during her apology, but it had been easier since she had yet to meet his gaze. Sena still refused to look up.

The room was silent except for the sound of her ragged breathing, still winded from the long run. It was dark too, the lights were off and the equipment put away for the next day. How long had it taken her to get here? Did, she wondered, he send the others home early?

A gunshot rang out next to her and she nearly jumped out of her skin but remained in place as to not get hit accidentally.

“You fucking promise? Is that what you just said to me?”

Her eyes cracked open slightly at his evenly spoken words and she saw the tips of his shoes not too far from her bent position. Swallowing gingerly, she nodded. It would be worst not to respond.

“Look up when I’m speaking to you,” he growled, forcing her chin up with the barrel of his gun. “Answer me, fucking brat, why did you choose to visit your _friends_ over there instead of coming to practice?”

Her eyes wavered before finally settling on his face. He had crouched down to be level with her and his gaze was oddly cold, rather than ferociously livid as she expected. She honestly didn’t know if this was good or bad, but her gut twisted unpleasantly. What she wouldn’t give for him to just yell and threaten her like he normally did.

“I didn’t mean to be late, Hiruma-san, really! I just wanted to say hi before I came to practice, I should have watched the time more closely. Please, I will make up any practice time I missed,” she spoke softly, afraid of the tense atmosphere.

He didn’t reply so she bent to dip her head again in apology and his other hand stopped her. His long fingers gripped her chin, firm but not tight, and kept her still. His eyes were so sharp it hurt to maintain the stare, but she did, even as her eyes watered and her face grew flush with effort.

He abruptly stood up, saying loudly as if he were back to normal, “Of course you fucking will! A hundred laps, top-speed. If you fucking slow down for a second, I’ll sic Cerberus on you.”

“Y-yes!” Giving him a wide berth, she hurried past him and pulled the door open.

“Oi, fucking brat.”

Sena turned and looked at him, anxiety making her chest ache. He was facing away from her, his black clothes and the darkness of the room seeming to blend together.

“Don’t be late again.”

She gripped the door handle so tightly it left marks on her hands.

“Y-yes.”

Long after she began to run and the sun had set, she realized what had been so unnerving about the entire confrontation. Why she hadn’t been able to stop shaking until her thirtieth lap. Hiruma hadn’t smiled, not even once.


	3. Fridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Implied Sena/Others.
> 
> Word Prompt: Fridge.
> 
> A bit short, but I didn't want to drag it on to make it longer.

Monta sighed loudly as he checked his cellphone for the fifth time since football practice began. He had received yet another message from Sena, who was too sick to come. It had been only one day and she missed being at practice with her friends. He could understand that, even admire her dedication, but this was starting to get ridiculous.

“You wouldn’t think it, but she’s so dramatic when she’s sick.” Monta rolled his eyes with a grin, tilting the phone so Suzuna could see the message. They were sitting at a bench on the sideline; the linemen were busy performing charging techniques on each other. The others were doing laps, except Hiruma who was throwing passes to Ishimaru to build up his catching skills.

The girl snorted a laugh when she saw the phone screen, muffling it with a pom-pom.

It was a picture of Sena wrapped in a blanket facing away from the phone’s camera, reaching out a unsteady looking arm towards the semi-empty fridge. The message underneath read: _Out of food, death soon to come._ Her parents had left for a week to visit some relatives and that was when she fell sick. It was nothing too bad, but enough to leave her disoriented and weak.

‘Just her luck,’ Monta thought, shaking his head. “I’m going over after practice to bring her some food and play videogames. Mamori-chan would, but she already promised someone that she would help them with school business, so she won’t be able to stop by until later,” he explained.

“Oh, can I come?” Suzuna asked, shifting back and forth on her skates behind him.

Monta thought a moment and nodded. “I don’t see why not, but you might get sick.”

“I won’t, I have a very strong immune system,” she replied proudly, gliding away to another bench.

Pulling a camera out of her purse, she checked to see how much film she had left. Practically the whole roll, she smiled deviously. With Sena in her weakened state, she wouldn’t be able to resist a few, ahem, interesting photos. Suzuna could bargain with You-nii for some additional funds for cheering equipment, perhaps a confetti canon.

She was also sure that some of the other players that had their eyes on the tiny running back would be able to provide her with something worthwhile in exchange for a photo or two. It would have to be a discreet operation, You-nii didn’t like it when she double dealt but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Humming, she spent the rest of the game in a cheerful mood, even when her stupid brother acted up.


	4. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Prompt: Fever
> 
> Pairings: Platonic Sena/Suzuna, hinted Sena/Others.
> 
> Suzuna's a good girl, she just has a bad rolemodel. Honest.

Sena awoke gradually, dazed and too warm from the blankets piled on her body. A cool, damp towel had been placed on her forehead but it had long since dried. Rolling to her side, she squinted blearily at her alarm clock. _3:14 PM_ , it glowed in blocky, neon red letters.

‘Ah, Monta should be here soon with my food,’ she thought, pushing off her coverings and forcing herself to her feet. The world swayed unsteadily but after a few seconds it settled and she shuffled over to her bathroom to rinse her heated face with cold water.

Letting her face drip dry, she stared at her reflection, taking stock of her appearance. The dark bags under her eyes had faded to faint smudges, a good sign; however her cheeks remained flushed and her gaze appeared unfocused. ‘Better than yesterday,’ she observed, tilting her head this way and that way, feeling her energy level rise marginally. ‘I’ll go wait for him in the living room.’

The journey downstairs took longer than Sena expected. She had wrapped her blanket around herself as she felt cold again and took periodic breaks to catch her breath, leaning against the nearest wall. By the time she reached the couch, she all but collapsed on it, huffing like she had run a dozen laps at top speed.

At that exact moment, the doorbell rang.

Whimpering weakly, she hauled herself up yet again and started towards the front door. Apparently she wasn’t going fast enough for whoever was waiting because they began to knock forcefully. “Hold on,” she yelled as loudly as she could, which is to say not loudly at all. “I’m almost there!”

As soon as she unlatched the door, it flew open, forcing her to lean back to avoid getting hit.

“Sena!” Monta shouted, rushing in, grocery bags in hand. “I was worried you’d collapsed or something, what took you so long?”

She propped herself up against the wall, gathering her energy to hit him.

“Hey, girlie, how are you feeling?” Suzuna’s question startled her and she turned back to see the small cheerleader standing the in the doorway. “Sorry for not calling before coming, I wanted to surprise you!”

“I am surprised,” Sena admitted. “And I’m feeling better, thank you.”

“Good,” the other girl said then smiled and leaned down to undo her roller-skates. “I’m here to keep you company, if you don’t mind. I even brought some tea I think will be helpful to you, lots of antioxidants or something.”

“I don’t mind at all, please come in. I’ll get the kettle going,” Sena answered, legs trembling as she headed towards the kitchen. She could hear Monta opening the fridge and putting things away in the cabinets.

Suzuna cut her off. “Ah, ah, ah! No way, girlie, you’re going to sit down and let me take care of you. Go on, Monta’s got a videogame for you to play anyways.”

After a brief feeble protest, Sena found herself on the couch again, controller in hand as she tried to focus on the television screen. It was some sort of first person shooter, but she couldn’t figure out what person she was playing. Monta, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying his easy winning streak.

“You could at least try to let me win once,” Sena grumbled, mashing buttons helplessly. “I am sick, after all.”

“No mercy for the weak,” Monta intoned sagely. “Victory should be fought for, not given.”

She lost about a dozen more times before Suzuna floated back into the room, like she was still wearing her roller-skates despite being barefooted. It was a skill that impressed both Sena and Monta, despite neither of them saying a word. The tray in Suzuna’s hands was loaded with soup, crackers, and a steaming mug of a medicinal smelling liquid she assumed was the tea.

“Eat up,” she chirped, swapping the controller for the tray. Sena ate with a sense of duty, watching smugly as the tables turned and Monta was demolished by Suzuna’s unprecedented gaming skills. Reinvigorated by a new challenge, Monta returned into the fray. As their heated battle continued, Sena finished her meal and sipped on her tea, the mug warming her hands. Drowsy and full, she must have nodded off at some point because she was alone on the couch when she opened her eyes.

A soft rustling came from her left.

Sena glanced over and found Suzuna pulling something out of her purse. She jerked in shock when she saw Sena’s gaze on her. “Oh, you’re awake! I was just about to leave. Monta left a little while ago, there’s food and some fresh tea on the table.”

“Oh, okay, see you later then.” Massaging her parched throat, she reached for the mug of tea.

Suzuna paused, tapping her finger against the camera in her hand. “Actually, do you mind if I take a quick picture with you? I just realized that we don’t have any together, well, other than you as Eyeshield 21.”

Sena frowned, gazing vaguely in her direction. “But I’m sick, I’ll look terrible.”

“Nonsense!” The other girl retorted, “You look adorable all wrapped up in your blanket. Here let me take a picture to show you.”

She snapped a photo before Sena’s fuzz-filled brain could even register her words. Suzuna grinned devilishly. Sena’s sleepy, flushed face was going to make her rich. In a sweet tone of voice, she said, “See? It’s perfect! Here, let’s take another.”

After a dozen pictures, Sena finally noticed that Suzuna had yet to be in a single one. “Hey, don’t you need to be in this?”

“Huh? Oh! Yes, right,” she recovered, plopping down next to the other girl and leaning close. “Say cheese!”

“Cheese,” Sena repeated, dreamily.

“Still tired? You need to rest, I’ll leave you be then,” Suzuna chided gently, tucking the blanket closer to her and standing up. She looked at the photo of the two of them, warmth growing in her chest, a slight twist of guilt wrestling in her stomach. Well, Sena would want to help her anyways, right? Besides, You-nii did stuff like this all the time!

“Thanks for coming to see me, although I wasn’t much for company,” Sena murmured after a yawn. She didn’t notice Suzuna briefly stop her battle to shove her camera in her too small purse, before giving up and hurrying to the front door.

“It’s the least I can do,” Suzuna replied back, counting sums in her head to keep away any remorse, and shut the door behind her. She’d make it up to Sena and use some of the money to buy a nice trip for them to a hot spring or something, and chocolate, lots of chocolate. Grinning and absolved from guilt, she cackled as she texted You-nii her offer.


	5. Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Prompt: Game
> 
> Pairings: Sena/Shin.
> 
> If Suzuna had come, things would have escalated. But she's off selling pictures, so you can't blame her.

“You have to hold it gently,” Sena explained, guiding Shin’s incredibly strong hands to wrap around the gaming controller. He visibly strained to keep himself from crushing the device and even then she could hear the plastic begin to warp at the pressure. Monta glanced over from his own screen, concerned for the safety of his equipment. They were at Monta’s house, playing the game she had unknowingly played with him when she had been sick. It was time for her to settle the score, but first she’d have to assist Shin.

“Oh, my.” Hastily, she placed her hands over his, prying at them so that they loosened a tad. “Here, let me help you.”

Sitting close to him, she directed him through a match, managing to teach him a few combo specials. Sena cheered when they finally brought down an enemy player, by that time nearly in his lap from having to lean against him to reach. “Congratulations on your first kill, Shin-san!”

“I… killed someone?” He asked, not looking terribly thrilled at the idea.

“Not an actual person, just a fake character,” Sena amended, trying to sound soothing as she patted his powerful hands. They had tightened up again. He sat rigidly in place and she wondered if he had ever played a videogame before. When she ran into him on her way over to her friend’s house, he had sounded interested, but maybe it was the way she phrased it as a competition of sorts.

Shifting in discomfort, she stretched towards his hands again as the next round started. Unexpectedly, he lifted his arm and pulled her against his side, the limb encircling her and reaching back to the device in his hands. Mashed against him and unable to break free even if she wanted to, Sena blushed at the friendly embrace, the grip of her hands on his going slack.

‘This is Shin,’ she scolded herself at the thoughts running through her head. ‘He probably doesn’t know what romance is, nor is he smooth enough to pull a move like this.’

Shaking herself, she returned to reality, setting to work getting the linebacker to ease up his grip again. “Ano, you’re holding it too hard, Shin-san.” She murmured nervously, her face pressed so close to his chest that she had to look up to speak clearly. “Relax.”

If anything, he became tenser and she watched the control in his hand cautiously. Touching his arm, she suggested, “I can play for a bit, if that’s what you want.”

The controller was in her hands immediately and she stifled a fond laugh. He really was nervous playing this game, him the invulnerable Shin. As she played, Sena described her moves and the buttons used to pull them off, as well as the abilities of the other characters and the attacks he should avoid, reflect, or run away from. Shin nodded seriously at intervals, taking in her advice like it was a life or death situation.

So involved in the gameplay, she didn’t comprehend she had shifted entirely into his lap until she reached for her drink. He grabbed it for her and she thanked him, screaming inside. His arms had wrapped themselves around her waist and she had unwittingly propped up her elbows on them.

Sure that her face was the color of a tomato, she forced herself not to tremble or look away from the screen. She didn’t want to see Monta’s stupid grinning face waggle his eyebrows at her, and she especially didn’t want to see how Shin was looking at her. Biting her tongue, she held back the growing whine in her throat. Was he doing this on purpose, or was it really an accident? Sena didn’t know if she wanted to find out.

He was warm, she noted. Her back pressed against his chest felt like she was sitting against a heater, an extremely solid heater.

‘I can’t do this,’ Sena wept on the inside as her face remained a stoic, red mask. ‘This is too much.’

But she didn’t want to get up. This made her pause with a jolt. Her position was actually very comfortable despite the nerve-wracking circumstances. She liked… this.

Wincing, she considered the controller in her hand. As she stared, Shin’s hand came up to cover hers.

“You’re being attacked,” he pointed out, delicately maneuvering the character so that they were out of the gunfire. “I think Monta-san has won the game already, but we can still try to defeat him.”

“Yes,” she agreed instinctively. The match continued and she understood that the longer they played, the longer they would stay in this position. ‘Could Shin have thought the same thing?’ Sena wondered, trying to focus on the game. ‘No way, he’s just being polite.’

His head lightly rested on hers as he tucked her closer underneath his chin, sighing contently. Her face lit up like a Christmas light.

‘Oh, boy.’


	6. Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Prompt: Forget
> 
> Pairings: Sena/Kazuki Jumonji.
> 
> Warning: Depictions of Violence and Abuse.
> 
> You guys are being spoiled. Do you know how terrible I am about updating my fics? Most of the time I just delete them, or end up making them one-shots. Spoiled, I tell you.

The second hit came out of nowhere and caught her by surprise. The usual routine was always one hit, a cuff to the face, either open handed or closed depending on the mood. Her mind struggled through the agony to pinpoint the reason for their displeasure and came up with nothing.

Sena dropped to her knees, gagging and clutching her stomach, dribbles of spit mixing with the blood from her busted lip. Forehead pressed to the concrete floor of the bridge sidewalk, she felt someone place their foot on her back, pushing down just enough to keep her from straightening. Stuck in a kneeling position, it dawned on her that this was not going to be over quickly.

“Why,” she choked out, inhaling in uneven intervals.

This earned her a shove and she had to press her hands to the floor to prevent her face from being smashed. Black spots dotted her vision and she felt her stomach give a nauseous lurch, but she refused to give them the satisfaction of her puking in front of them.

“Shut up.” Kuroki, Sena noted, was the one who was holding her down. He had not been the one to hit her the second time, however. That blow had come from their leader of sorts, Jumonji, which had been an added surprise. He was the second calmest one of the trio, the first being Togano who preferred to read his manga than torment her, although he wasn’t afraid of doing so.

“Who said you could talk?” Jumonji asked, sounding close.

The pressure was removed from her back, but she remained in place, trembling. This was worse than the punch to the stomach.

“I asked you a question.” A light kick to her side made her bite back a yelp. They didn’t like hearing her cry out, so she learned to be quiet in her pain.

“No one did. I’m sorry.” Sena apologized and squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation. They did like it when she begged, so she had become well versed in their favorite phrases. This was Jumonji’s, “Please, I’ll be better, I promise.”

The lull lengthened until she almost felt safe enough to move, even though she didn’t.

“Sit up.” She did.

Jumonji glared down at her, bat across his shoulder. Behind him, Kuroki and Togano lazed about, not even paying attention to the scene next to them. ‘This is just for Jumonji then,’ she thought. ‘He must be upset about something and is taking it out on me.’

She gazed up at him, not daring to wipe away the blood dripping from her mouth or blink away the tears brimming in her eyes. It was dangerous to look angry, so she kept a neutral pleading expression. He hesitated, looking almost apologetic for moment, before raising the bat and bringing it down.

Sena woke up with a start, her entire body tensed for an attack that never came.

“A dream,” she murmured, placing a hand over her hammering heart. “Just a dream.” But it wasn’t just a made-up fantasy; the Huh-Huh Brothers had bullied her before, although not to that extent.

That had been a nightmare.

Later at practice, after a day of stumbling through classes half-asleep and jittery with nerves, she paid particular attention to avoiding the Huh-Huh Brothers, especially Jumonji. Monta raised an eyebrow at her disheveled appearance, but kindly said nothing. For once, she was grateful that her training focused mostly on speed and she was able to distance herself from her former tormentors by running laps.

“Oi, Sena,” a familiar voice called out when she jogged to the benches to get a drink.

Her stomach began to ache as she skidded to a stop, turning only half way to face them.

“Yes, Jumonji-san?” She unthinkingly used the old honorific that she had been accustomed to as their gopher, making him frown. He had thought they had gotten to the point where they didn’t need to be formal anymore.

Uncharacteristically, he fumbled with his helmet, straightening the straps to busy his hands. “Are you alright? You look kind of tired.”

Sena had expected a lot of things. His being concerned for her wellbeing when not in a football match was not one of them. Blood rushed to her face and her mouth worked for a couple of seconds before she spouted, “Yes, fine, thank you. I’m fine.”

Looking unconvinced, he walked closer, hand raised to check her temperature.

She flinched back, breathing fast through her nose.

Eyes wide, he took a step back as well.

“Sorry.” His voice was soft, remorseful.

Their shared history rose like a wall between them, an almost physical dividing force. She took no notice, too fixated on his face and his voice and what he had said. The idea of him actually apologizing to her made her eyes burn and a short laugh burst from her throat. This caught him off guard and he looked unsure, even nervous.

“It’s okay,” Sena said, rubbing her eyes and smiling. “I know you’re different now. I just…” Had a bad dream, she almost said, but shook her head. “I just need to remember that.”

He scratched his head awkwardly and she watched as color rose in his face. It was like seeing the dawn for the first time and she had to force her mouth to stay closed, trying to keep her breathing from hitching. Kicking the ground, he looked anywhere but at her, saying, “Well, if you’re okay.” He made as if to leave and she stepped forward to grab his arm without thinking.

Jumonji stared at her hand, looking baffled. Sena flushed, but held on. “Actually, I’d like to talk some more, if that’s fine with you.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied, frozen in place like a deer, or maybe a person being approached by a deer, and didn’t attempt to move away from her touch. “If that’s what you want.”

She met his eyes, resolute. “It is.”


	7. Pull-Ups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Prompt: Pull-Ups
> 
> Pairings: Sena/Kid, Sena/Riku, Platonic Sena/Testuma/Suzuna.
> 
> Riku’s sister complex gives me life and I really respect Kid, like if he ever got disappointed with me, I’d be devastated.

Suzuna leaned against the railing of the football field, hands folded under her chin. She tiled her head, making a considering noise in her throat. “There he is. That train guy.”

Taking a breather from practice, Sena set down her water bottle and wiped sweat from her face. She glanced in the same direction, picking out the player her friend was referring to. “Tetsuma-san? He’s really nice, once you get to know him.”

“I’m sure,” Suzuna agreed, still fixed on the receiver intently. “But that’s not what I was curious about. Does he _really_ do whatever you tell him to do?”

Shuddering as a chill ran down her spine, the other girl nodded with reluctance.

“I see,” Suzuna replied, straightening decisively. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

“W-wait!” Sena hurried after her as she started towards the other side of the field, where the Seibu Wild Gunmen relaxed during their own practice break. Due to some strange, probably Hiruma-related circumstances, they were sharing a field for practice in preparation of the upcoming games. She grabbed Suzuna’s arm, bringing her to a halt. Blurting out the first excuse she could think of, Sena clarified, “He only listens to Kid and their Coach, probably his other teammates as well.”

“Oh,” she muttered, sounding disappointed.

“Yeah, you can’t do anything with them around,” Sena continued, trying to persuade her friend back to their side of the field. A glint appeared in Suzuna’s eyes and too late Sena realized her mistake.

“I’ll just wait until they’re not around then!”

“Suzuna, no!”

 

Later on after most of the players had left, Suzuna casually made her way back to the Gunmen side. Sena had stayed as well, out of obligation due to what she had unwittingly let loose, that being Suzuna’s unrestrained curiosity.

“Tetsuma-kun,” the small cheerleader greeted. “Great practice! I wanted to come over and say that I was really impressed!”

Standing next to her, Sena spoke respectfully, smiling with uneasiness, “You’re very accurate as always, Tetsuma-san.”

The unaffected receiver stared down at them and bowed, before turning to leave.

“Ah! Wait, I have a question for you, Tetsuma-kun!” Suzuna rushed to his side. He paused to listen.

She smiled sweetly. “Could you hold out your arms?”

He did so, extending his limbs parallel to the floor and straight from the shoulders, as if he was a giant T.

“Wow.” Suzuna said, seeming to not have actually expected him to follow her orders. “Can you hold them there?”

Tetsuma nodded once and remained in place. Stepping towards him, Suzuna hopped up and grabbed his arm, like she was hanging from a jungle gym. “Whoaaaa, he’s so strong! Sena, you do it too!”

“What?” Sena squeaked, staring at her in alarm. “No way, get down from there!”

Suzuna rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, quit being a spoilsport. Tetsuma-kun doesn’t mind, right?”

He shook his head, stating, “I can handle it.”

“See?”

Sena continued to hesitate, wringing her hands. It did look fun, but it was so impolite! Then again, he did say it was okay. She bit her lip and grabbed hold of his other arm. It didn’t even so much as tremble at her weight and she marveled at his control. “You _are_ strong, Tetsuma-san! Incredible!”

They hung in place, flattering him and Suzuna began doing pull-ups. “I bet I can do more than you,” she boasted, already on her fifth.

Provoked with a contest, Sena set to work catching up with her. “We’ll see about that!”

They were nearing their twentieth pull-up, wheezing extensively, when someone cleared their throat behind them. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A voice drawled and Sena registered the Southern accent with growing panic.

“Looks like the jig is up.” Suzuna sighed, hanging in place.

Kid strode into their line of sight, a blank expression on his rather mature face. He tipped his hat up with one finger and raised an eyebrow at them, his voice chastising. “Now, I expected this much from the cheerleader filly, but you, Sena-san? I thought you had more sense than this.”

For her part, Suzuna had the decency to look guilty as the other girl all but wilted at the lighthearted scolding. For Sena, it cut her deeply to think that she had disappointed Kid, one of the few people who had always been kind and gentle to her. They both knew Kid and Tetsuma had a close relationship, and that he was very protective of his susceptible friend. Suzuna opened her mouth to take responsibility, after all it was her idea, but someone else cut her off.

“Ease off my sister, Kid,” Riku’s stern voice joined in, stepping back out from the corridor to the locker room. He had already changed and showered from the looks of his damp hair. His blue eyes were hard as they trained on his fellow team member then softened as they flickered over to Sena. “Hey, Sena-chan.”

“Hi, Riku-nii,” she replied softly, mortified by being caught in such a position by two people she really respected. She wished Tetsuma would throw her into space and let the endless void take her. To her continued horror, she became conscious of the fact she was still hanging onto him.

Letting go, she stumbled as she landed, legs worn-out from practice. Riku was at her side to steady her, his speed startling, using an arm around her waist to hold her up. Flustered, she thought harshly, ‘Now I’m being pathetic, needing Riku-nii to defend and help me yet again.’

Faintly, she overheard Suzuna rebuking Kid, who appeared sheepish in turn. “Be nice to Sena-chan! It was my idea anyway.”

Squeezing her a little, Riku grinned when Sena glanced up at him. She felt herself smile back shyly, feeling better at his assurance. ‘I’m being overdramatic,’ she thought. Besides, if Kid was truly angry, they would all know it.

With a cheer, Suzuna decided to hop down at last, turning to give Tetsuma a salute. “Thanks for the lift.”

He snorted. “You hardly weight anything.”

“Oho, what a charmer!” She laughed in delight, slapping him on the back. “You can put your arms down now, by the way.”

Kid approached Sena, and Riku as well by default. “Hope you didn’t take my ramblings to heart, little miss. I know as well as anyone that Tetsuma is a tempting fella to order around.” He chuckled, the picture of an amiable rogue. He rubbed his neck bashfully; feeling foolish for teasing a person he knew was susceptible to fright. Typically, Kid made sure his behavior towards her was perfectly gentile.

She clutched at Riku’s shirt out of habit and he drew her closer to his side, glaring a warning at Kid. Sena wouldn’t meet the taller teen’s shrewd eyes and lowered her head at his slow smile but seemed happy nonetheless. “I-I shouldn’t have bothered Tetsuma-san, but thank you. You’re very nice, Kid-san.”

“Oh, Tetsuma-kun’s fine, aren’t you?” Suzuna asked, leaning with one hand against the receiver. He in turn nodded seriously. “But it is getting late and You-nii will use us for target practice if we don’t hurry up.”

Sena shivered, making Riku stare with concern. “Hiruma-san can be very difficult to deal with when it comes to tardiness,” she explained, giving him one last hug before stepping away to follow her friend.

“I don’t like how that Hiruma treats you, as if you’re his slave,” he growled, protective nature flaring up.  

Both girls shrugged. “You get used to it.”

“Goodbye, Riku-nii, I’ll see you later. Goodbye, Tetsuma-san, thank you for having patience with us.” Sena bowed, smiling timidly as she said, “Goodbye, Kid-san.”

“Bye, missy, take care of that friend of your’s,” he drawled good-naturedly, tugging his hat down to hide his face. She was just too endearing when she was being shy. Watching the interaction closely, Riku glowered up at him in suspicion.

Already halfway across the field, Suzuna turned and stomped her roller-skate clad foot, hollering, “Let’s go, Sena!”

Sena jumped. “Okay, sorry, sorry, I’m going!”

She bolted towards her and they both hurried after their team, who were all taking the train back to their high school. After watching them until they were out of sight, Riku turned to his teammate.

“Hey, Kid.”

“Yeah, partner?”

“Stay away from my sister.”

“I can’t say I understand what you’re referring to...”


	8. Almost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Prompt: Almost
> 
> Pairings: Sena/Akaba, One-sided Sena/?
> 
> I will leave "?" up to your interpretation, I just wanted her to suffer. Also, if y'all have any requests, I'm open for suggestions.

Flying through the streets, Sena panted, eyes burning and wet as she raced towards her house. Vision blurred, she dodged the obstacles in her path out of instinct more than anything else.

‘It can’t be. I don't believe it. It’s not-‘ Sena cut herself off, biting hard on her lip until the pain restored her. The breath in her lungs rattled and her legs seemed to have a mind of their own. When had she started running?

In that moment, _that_ moment, she had wanted to go home, immediately, but now…

An image of her parents resting in the living room, comforting and safe, filled her with a sense of relief. A thorn of doubt pierced her side, what would they say if they saw their daughter in this state? She had hidden her bullying from them, despite Mamo-nee’s attempts to get them involved, so her hysterical state would be a shock. It only took her a moment to figure out how they would react. Her mother would demand answers and her father’s eyes would fill with worry until she finally broke and spilled everything.

Sena didn’t want that. Not at this minute, probably not ever. This, what she had just- She shook her head furiously, cutting sharply to the side and streaking down a road that lead away from her house.

Solitude, that’s what she wanted, time alone to work this out. To organize her thoughts, without anyone else smothering her with questions or pity, she was so _tired_ of pity.

She didn’t think anyone had seen her leave, but trying to recall what her surroundings had been at that time was useless. It was as if her brain had blocked out anything that didn’t have to do with- What? What could she even call it? And, more importantly, why did it hurt so much? Oh, she hoped that no one had seen her, she prayed that they hadn’t thought anything of her behavior and would leave her be. Let her run and run and run and maybe then she could outrun all of this. Maybe then her speed could truly be of use for  _herself_ for once.

Sena didn’t recognize her surroundings and she found that she liked that. If she could lose herself in this city, then perhaps whatever pain was following her would get lost too. The sun was sinking, the sky turning a burnt orange and the chill from the morning returning with the oncoming dusk. Skin slick with sweat, she relished the growing cold, it felt so good on her heated skin. If she had been her old self, her legs would have given out by now. Instead, they pumped steadily onward, enduring as long as she willed them to. And she willed them to go on until she couldn’t even think anymore.

Out of sync with her own body, Sena let her mind wander away from herself. She wondered how she appeared to others. A tiny blur disturbing their clothes with a gust of air as she blew past them? A sobbing ghost that moved too swiftly for the eye to follow? If she became an urban legend, she wouldn’t be surprised.

The Crying Girl Who Runs, or something like that.

It was dark by the time she stopped, her whole body shaking and hurting as she let herself fall backwards onto a grassy embankment. A river flowed quietly in front of her, dark and swift; the lights from a bridge to her left glittered weakly on its surface. She was thankful that they did little else in regards to illuminating aside from the street that crossed over. Anyone seeing or spotting her was the last thing she wanted.

Lying there, Sena listened to her harsh breathing settle into a mild rhythm, her body finally feeling the energy drain from such a frantic, continuous run. The freezing air was no longer a blessing and she trembled as the sweat on her skin became clammy and uncomfortable. A hot bath sounded like paradise, but she must be so far from home, she doubted that she could make it back. Her phone was off, she didn’t want to be bothered, and her parents wouldn’t worry because they knew practice could sometimes go long into the night.

Her eyelids felt heavy, even as her lips quivered and her teeth chattered, she knew that she couldn’t fight the sleep that was threatening to take over her body. It wasn’t safe here, wherever ‘here’ was she didn’t know. Burning tears dripped down the sides of her face, oddly soothing in their heat. It was a wonder she still had tears left, then again she had always been a crybaby.

She released another soft sob. They hadn’t seen her when she had walked in and she was almost certain they hadn’t seen her go either. She was so _stupid_ , getting her hopes up without even realizing it. What chance did she have? Aside from running, she wasn’t at all amazing. Her body was plain, her voice was boyish, her attitude was cowardly, and she was stressed constantly. She was below average, if anything. Who wanted to date a girl like that? Who would even be _interested_?

“No one,” Sena said, thickly.

To think that she had _almost_ \- Cold and tired and miserable, it took her a few seconds to recognize she wasn’t alone.

Footsteps sounded from above her, pausing as they approached. Using strength spiked up by fear, she tilted her head upwards, attempting to prepare her body in the event she needed to run again.

Upside down from her point of view and darkened by the night, it was hard to discern any characteristics. A delivery truck drove by, bright lights shining briefly on the person, revealing it to be a man with red hair and, from the reflective glint at his eyes, shades.

“…Akaba-san?”

The man, or teen, jumped slightly at her voice.

“Sena-san?”

There was a beat of silence and she felt her body go slack in relief.

“What are you…” Sena didn’t hear the rest of his question, her body seeming to think that she had had enough excitement and clocking her out of consciousness. Too tired to care about safety, she didn’t fight it. In her exhausted state, she didn’t even feel him pick her up. Dangerous and irresponsible? Yes, she probably wouldn’t have allowed this in her proper state of mind. For now, she relied on the morality of her former enemy.

 

Sena thought she heard music in her dreams and when she tried to follow it, it just faded further away. It was a nice sound, she found she wanted to hear more but again as she sought it, it evaded her. She sat unmoving and then it grew around her until it filled her and she slept again.

 

A warm hand was placed on her forehead and she blinked her eyes open. The fuzzy images slowly righted themselves into their proper shapes and she saw Akaba above and to the side of her, raising an eyebrow.

“Feeling better, I hope?” He asked, removing his hand and placing a glass of water near her side.

Her lips and throat felt impossibly dry, and her hand shook as she grasped the glass. She almost spilled it and Akaba proceeded to guide and steady her grip. “Not too fast, you’ll make yourself sick.”

After finishing the glass and regaining the strength to sit up, she spoke delicately, knowing her throat probably could tear at any strain, “Thank you… Where am I?”

“My house. My room, specifically,” the Spider player replied easily, as if this were not an affront to every proper girl code in existence. “I snuck you in so my parents and sister wouldn’t get suspicious, so don’t worry, your reputation will remain untarnished.”

Marginally relieved, she pressed on, “What time is it?”

“Around twelve…”

“Oh,” she sighed, thankful. It wasn’t that late then; she could make it home before her parents freaked out.

“In the afternoon,” Akaba finished, turning to set the glass on a nearby side table.

Sena stared at him, uncomprehensive, as he began to fiddle with his guitar. Her body was sore but not terribly so, and she realized that there was only one futon in the room. He must have let her have the bed while he slept on the floor. It took a great amount of self-control not to freak out about her literally being in his bed.

‘Very kind of him,’ she thought, gradually coming to terms with the fact it she would be punished upon her return home. Maybe they would believe that she had stayed over at Monta’s again and forgot to tell them? As long as she didn’t have to explain about- She sucked in a sharp breath, the feelings from before just as raw and painful as they had been yesterday.

The music stopped and she unthinkingly looked towards him in question. She liked his music when he didn’t play it so loudly.

“Is something bothering you?” Akaba asked, tapping his finger against his guitar pick. He had shifted so that he leaned against his wall, facing her side, with his guitar in his lap. “Your rhythm seems off.”

“No. Thank you,” she responded instantly. He didn’t look convinced but continued to play.

Sena deliberated what she was supposed to do now. Leave? Akaba did not seem to be pushing her out the door, he seemed welcoming. He had done so much already, it felt rude just to get up and bolt. Just how did he know where to look for her though? Curious, she asked him.

“I wasn’t looking for you. I go to the river at night sometimes to play my guitar; no one is usually there to disturb me. Actually, you kind of startled me.” He admitted, taking off his shades to give her another once over. “Are you sure you’re fine? You looked like you nearly ran yourself to death yesterday.”

“I’m fine now,” Sena lied. Her hands clenched the blankets in her lap and she spoke again, “Actually, no, I’m not fine, and I suppose you deserve atleast to know why, since you did help me. Just not yet, please.”

Akaba nodded, staring at her with understanding and she got caught up in his eyes. After all, who had red eyes? “Whenever you’re ready.”

Abruptly self-conscious, Sena laid back down, pulling the covers up to just over her nose. “A-actually, Akaba-san, could you maybe play something? The one you were playing before. I… enjoyed it.”

He smiled, pleased at her request. “Of course, happy to oblige.”

She drifted back to sleep, music flowing through the air around her. Her worries would still be there when she woke up, but for now she needed some comfort, even if it came from a ex-rival.


	9. Blackmail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Prompt: Blackmail
> 
> Pairings: Hiruma/Sena.

Suzuna was a good girl and an even greater friend, that’s what Sena was led to believe up until now.

This Suzuna in front of her was not that person; she was a smaller version of Hiruma. Not the pointy bat-fangs, kekeke-ing, would-you-look-at-this-hobgoblin, hijinks pulling Hiruma, oh no, Sena could deal with that and usually did so every day.

Today, Suzuna was none of those things.

This was like Hiruma when you fell back on a deal, no remorse, no mercy, and if you tried to run he'd shoot your knees out, consequences be damned. He could pay off the police; she’d seen him do it before. To be honest, as much as she was devoted to her captain, she was sure that he had done some terrible things, much worse than petty extortion.

Sena swallowed, mouth dry and her lips sticking to her teeth. “What- What do you want me to do?”

Suzuna’s smile slid across her face like a razor and Sena took an instinctual step back. In between two fingers, Suzuna held the key to her undoing, a bit of information that the runningback would do anything to keep secret. It had taken a lot of work and trust to unearth something not even Hiruma had on Sena. But once Suzuna had found it, she knew that the winning piece in her and You-nii’s game of control and power was in her hands.

They played through fear, manipulation, and of course, blackmail.

“I want you to be my slave, Sena-chan,” she giggled. “Obviously.”

Sena’s eyebrows furrowed. “But… I’m Hiruma’s slave?”

“Sure, sure, you can still obey him, but! You have to obey me first, okay? That’s the rule!” Suzuna waggled her finger at her, mock serious. “He doesn’t have to know about it. In fact, let’s just keep it our little secret for now, hmm?”

The runningback stared at her like she was insane, but what could she do? She was trapped. Unwillingly, she nodded and felt a heavy weight settle onto her shoulders.

‘What have I done?’

 

There was no change in their relationship after that and Sena began to think that perhaps it had been a weird dream. She avoided coffee and sugar for a few days just to be sure she didn’t have a repeat episode in her sleep. Because it was either that, which was a nice thought, or, more realistically, Suzuna was smart enough to not flaunt this deal in front of Hiruma. A week passed and she was gradually growing comfortable around the cheerleader again, thinking perhaps the arrangement wasn’t so terrible. Maybe Suzuna was a good girl after all. Maybe it really was just a bad joke.

Then, Suzuna decided to put her to the test.

“Fucking chibi, get over here,” Hiruma called from his back office and Sena hopped up, ready to dash over to him.

“Ne, Sena-chan, can you come over here?” Suzuna asked nicely, directly opposite of Hiruma, near the entrance of the miniature casino.

She could feel the tension mount as she hesitated, glancing back and forth between them; Hiruma’s mouth dipping into a frown as Suzuna’s glowing smile continued to grow. With a forlorn stare in his direction, begging him to understand, she went to the girl at the doorway. Sena couldn’t bear to look at his face when she reached Suzuna, who lit up like a firework-filled night sky, but she could guess what it must look like. Confused, annoyed, and, perhaps wishful thinking on her part, hurt; she had betrayed him.

At last, she made herself look and Hiruma’s eyes were thankfully not on her, but Suzuna. They weren’t hurt or vulnerable, but calculating and furious. Like the weakling she was, she ducked her head when his gaze did slid over to her, fidgeting with the edges of her jacket.

“Oh, sorry, You-nii! I forgot to tell you,” Suzuna chirped, placing a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “Sena-chan belongs to me now.” And there it was, the finishing nail in the sturdy coffin of Sena’s enslavement, reaffirming her complete control over the runningback.

She heard him stand but Suzuna was already out the door, calling, “Come along now, Sena-chan! We’ve got things to do.”

Hating herself, Sena followed. “O-okay.”

She could feel his stare but she didn’t look back.

 

What was that? What could that fucking cheerleader have over Sena that could make her, of all people, defy him? Hiruma paced, clutching his gun the way another man would hold a glass of whiskey. He stopped and glared at the door they had just left from. He fucking intended to find out.

Sena belonged to him and Suzuna was going to learn the hard way that he lost to no one.


	10. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Prompt: Broken
> 
> Pairings: Jumonji/Sena, Hiruma/Sena.

 

It was after practice and the football team was joking around in the clubroom as usual.The Ha-Ha Brothers were playing keep away with Sena's water bottle and Monta, the traitor, just laughed as she zipped back and forth trying to grab it. Kurita sat beside his smaller pupil, Komusubi, positively beaming with delight at having a real team to pal around with. Yukimitsu, often the target of bullying himself, could offer no help other than an empathetic stare.

Sena hopped to reach the extended arms of Kuroki, who simply tossed the bottle to Togano. They seemed to be doing their teasing out of affection rather than spite. Sena could appreciate the fact that they were trying to have fun with her, in their own way.

Togano grinned as she stretched futilely for a few moments before throwing the desired object to Jumonji, who caught it easily. Sena huffed, becoming annoyed and increasingly thirsty.

"Jumonji-kun, please," Sena implored, reaching up like with the others to grab at the water bottle. Unintentionally, she had also been pressing herself to them, not that they noticed in their mirth. Now, with eyes pleading and a beseeching whine in her voice, she did the same to Jumonji who became incredibly aware of her body placement. The water bottle slipped from his abruptly weak fingers, his face catching flame, and with a glint in her eye Sena made a dive for it.

This turned out to be a mistake, to put it mildly.

She crashed into the desk behind them, the one where Hiruma worked and where he kept his important items. Like the laptop she was currently barreling towards, the one that held all of Hiruma's information on their plays and tactics. The water bottle securely tucked into her arms like a football, her eyes widened as she realized what was about to take place but was too far gone to stop. The room went silent as the clatter ended, no one so much as breathed.

"Oh, n-no," Kurita finally whispered, staring in horror at the laptop on the concrete floor. The screen had been shattered and the hard plastic casing cracked in several places.

"Oh, NO," Sena breathed, only marginally louder. She squeezed her eyes shut in dismay. 'I'm so dead.'

* * *

"I'll take responsibility," Sena announced solemnly after the following tumult ended. "I was the one who broke it. Besides, not to brag, but I am the fastest."

"What? No way, we all had a part in breaking it. We were all messing around. You can't just take the blame by yourself," Jumonji objected, helping her up off the floor. She thanked him with a feeble smile and dusted off her knees before bending over to pick up the broken laptop. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'll go with you."

"Thank you, but no, Jumonji-kun," Sena replied firmly. "It was my fault and I will explain to that Hiruma. He will- He'll understand."

They all stared at her in sympathetic disbelief but no one else offered to aid her. They liked their tiny female friend, but they were not going to face Hiruma for her. That was simply asking too much of their sports alliance. They had their own lives to think of, as cruel as it may be.

"Good luck," Monta said, nodding with respect.

"You're a true friend," Kurita sobbed.

"Godspeed," Yukimitsu added grimly.

"Well, it was nice knowing you, Sena." Kuroki offered her a salute as Togano shook his head. "I don't think even you can come back from this."

Jumonji took a step towards her but she just smiled at him reassuringly and with reluctance he backed away. The rest clapped her on the back as she exited, grave as if she was heading to an execution.

'Might as well be,' she thought, her shoulders drooping.

* * *

Hiruma watched indifferently as Sena placed his now broken laptop at his feet. She knelt down and bowed her head humbly, speaking to the floor as she explained, "Hiruma-san, I'm so, so, _so_ sorry but I broke your laptop by accident."

He popped his gum in the ensuing stillness, letting her stew in her fear and regret.

"I see," he replied and if possible, she bowed lower.

He had a backup, of course. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

"And just how do you intend to fucking pay for this, brat?" Hiruma leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk in front of him. They were in the library; which was now empty thanks to his presence. He had been discussing the details of a contract with the librarian, whom he had enslaved due to certain books being in her possession. Books that were definitely not appropriate for respectable school personnel.

Sitting in her seat at the front desk, he stared down at the pitiful form of his runningback and grinned.

"I had important information on that laptop, you know," he sighed theatrically. "It's not going to be easy recovering it from such a busted piece of junk, you fucking chibi."

"I'll-I'll make it up to you," Sena stuttered back and he could see her shoulders begin to shake. 'Really, this is too easy,' he almost cackled.

"Fine," he agreed and as he expected her head shot up in disbelief.

"F-fine?" She squeaked.

"That's what I said, didn't I?" He growled, furrowing his features to make it seem as if he were annoyed. To be honest, it was a bit vexing, but this was too good of an opportunity to be upset about. He folded his arms behind his head and stared at her, calculating.

Sena was still kneeling, but her hands were now pressed into her lap, her back ramrod straight. He smirked slowly and she grew visibly uneasy, but continued to meet his eyes. 'Oh, someone's feeling brave,' he thought, chewing leisurely on his gum. 'Can't have a disobedient runningback, now can we?'

"Come here," he ordered.

When she hesitated, glancing at him unsure as she rose to her feet, his smirk broadened into a full grin. "I don't bite."

She looked unconvinced but moved to stand in front of him.

"No, beside me."

Sena moved slowly around the desk, to his side and waited. Her hands twisted into her skirt and he stared at her dispassionately, positively giggling internally, as he commanded, "Massage my shoulders."

Her expression was everything he had expected and he was seconds away from bursting into laughter. What he hadn't expected was for her to steel herself, move behind him, and do as he said. Tensing himself, he stared ahead in disbelief as her fingers dug into his shoulder muscles.

Hiruma blinked, gum forgotten. She was really doing it. It had been a joke, he never intended to go through with but if she felt it was her duty… Well, he wasn't going to complain.

Chewing again, he relaxed and let her work. His shoulders had been tense and perhaps this was what he needed. "Lower," he instructed and she complied.

'Wow, she's actually good at this,' Hiruma thought with a huff, lowering his legs to lean forward, allowing her to reach his shoulder blades. If she didn't make it as a runningback, which he didn't doubt that she'd succeed, she could always get a job as a masseuse. Somehow the idea of her rubbing strange men made him irritated and he dismissed the idea. Her grades were too terrible for her to do anything without a sports scholarship anyway.

* * *

 

He must have been more tired than he realized because he awoke to Sena's hands gently shaking him and her soft voice murmuring, "Hiruma-san, it's getting late." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking relaxed herself save for a light flush on her cheeks.

Hiruma refused to be embarrassed for having fallen asleep under her administrations. He stood and stretched, yawning. He spat out his gum, glad he hadn't accidentally swallowed it in his sleep. "Fine, leave. I still have work to do."

"B-but it's late," she objected, shuffling in place. "You should go home and rest, properly, in your bed."

'Bold,' but he was too calm to care and allowed it. He smiled devilishly and replied, "Only if you'll join me."

Sena's face colored a fierce red and for a good minute he considered making the offer genuine, if only so he could see how far that blush went. But a good girl like Sena would never have a guy like him.

"I- I- _Hiruma-san_ ," she breathed, scandalized. Oh, that was an interesting way to say his name.

He shrugged. "It's what you wanted. Let's go."

"That's not what-" He cut her off with another mocking look. "…F-fine."

His eyebrows shot up. ' _Fine?_ '

"But- But only sleep, okay?" Rubbing her arm, she tried to glare at him before warning apologetically, "I sometimes kick in my sleep, though, so be careful."

'Is she serious?' He thought incredulously. Examining her closely, he determined that she was indeed taking him up on his jokingly offered invitation. Now, he had two choices: he could let her off with a mild insult and leave or the other choice, which was alarmingly tempting, take her to his home.

Hiruma was not a good guy, he profited off of people's misery but he hesitated at this decision.

Sena trotted to the door of the library, opening it carefully. It had indeed gotten late; the sky was beginning to turn orange and red. She glanced backwards to meet his eyes, her face tinged pink. Her gaze dipped demurely as she registered his stare. "A-Aren't you coming, Hiruma-san?"

It was a hard decision, but like he said, he wasn't a good guy.

He grinned, all sharp teeth. "Right behind you, fucking brat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, this was hard to write. Hiruma is a difficult character to portray accurately, especially when it comes to romance. If you can call this romance. *Side-eyes Hiruma* For shame, taking advantage of poor Sena like that. He's an awful boy, but he's my favorite. I wonder what they'll do at his house. That title can be taken all sorts of ways... 
> 
> Well! Comments and critiques are welcome and motivating! If you spot a grammar error, please tell me, I hate finding them and I'm too lazy to get a Beta reader.


	11. Stats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Prompt: Stats
> 
> Pairings: Sena/Shin, Mentioned Sena/Hiruma
> 
> My dudes... It's been too long. I know it's typical to say but I've been super busy with classes and etc. I don't know how I feel about this since I wrote it at like 2 am but let me know, yay or nay.

Sena had a system.

A sort of ranking structure that determined who was frightening and who was safe to be around. It helped with her anxiety by giving her some control over her interactions. Not much control, but an idea of it at least.

On a scale of 0 to 5, she organized the people in her life. In the Fear category, the highest rank of 5 was someone that she should avoid at all costs, like Agon, and the lowest rank of 0 was someone who she was the least afraid of, like Kurita. One would think Mamori would hold that position, but even she had her own sense of sternness. In much the same way Sena knew to be wary of her own mother, she held a healthy respect for Mamori. The girl knew how to handle a broom.

This is what prompted her to create the second category: Safety. Sena learned that a person can be safe _and_ frightening at the same time. This provided another way for her to sort the people in her life and she began writing her findings in a pocket-sized white notebook.

Sena snorted when she considered it, her very own version of Hiruma’s Blackmail Book except it was only incriminating to her. That was a psychology paper dying to be written. Since she had no luck whatsoever, she knew that the risk of it falling into the wrong hands was high. So, she shortened fear and safety to F and S to hide the notebook’s true purpose. She kept it secret and it never left her side.

During class, she reached into her bag to make an addition and her hand found nothing but crumbs and gum wrappers.

She sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

_Of course._

 

Mamori  
F: 1  
S: 5

Kurita  
F: 0  
S: 4

Hiruma  
F: 5  
S: 3

Monta  
F: 0  
S: 3

Shin examined the small white notebook in his hands, flipping through the pages. He had found it on his morning jog and recognized the names, but there was no sign about the owner. Someone he knew, judging from the mention of his name.

Shin  
F: 3  
S: 4

What did that mean? Feats, fights, fitness? Strength, speed, sports? He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but the list went on and on, every team in the district and then some. Panther, he noted, was in a special section dedicated to foreigners.

He glanced around at his surroundings, the path he usually jogged along was empty but it was frequented by a lot of athletes. The notebook could belong to any of them or even a very devoted fan of high school American football.

Pocketing it, he resolved to find its owner and discern what exactly it meant. The highest ranking seemed to be five, but he had not received that a score that high and he was curious about why not. He stronger than the Devil Bat’s manager, Mamori, and he was more fit than their Quarterback, Hiruma. How could the person the notebook belonged to rank him so lowly?

 

Sena was the type of person to panic. It was who she was, always had been and most likely always will be. She had gotten better at handling her fear since joining the football team, but that didn’t change her entire disposition. Hence, the current freak-out she was now subjecting her best friend to, their other teammates still changing in the locker room.

“Oh, no,” Sena moaned, running her hands down her face. “I can’t believe I _dropped_ it.”

Monta, well acquainted with her bursts of anxiety, replied drily, “And what did you drop?”

“My…” She struggled to find the right words. If Hiruma overheard the truth, she was doomed. “My notebook.”

He thankfully didn’t acknowledge her pause. “Oh, that sucks, did you have your homework in it or..?”

“No, no, it was _personal_ ,” she emphasized in a harsh whisper; standing up from the field bench to pace at a speed most would consider a brisk jog. Hiruma hadn’t arrived yet but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t know if they weren’t on time for practice. He had eyes and ears everywhere, but Sena was sure that even he didn’t know about her little notebook, yet. _Yet._

“Ah, I see.” Monta held his hand to his chin. “Well, when I lose something, I retrace my steps and I usually find it.”

Sena ceased her speed walking, hope filling her voice. “Really?”

“Sure, like forty percent of the time,” he said with a careless wave.

Her face dropped. “…Monta, I don’t think we have the same meaning for the word ‘usually’.”

 

Shin was flipping through the notebook he had found yet again. Every time he did, his confusion grew and grew.

Sakuraba  
F: 1  
S: 4

Takami  
F: 3  
S: 3

Otawara  
F: 4  
S: 2

Ikari  
F: 4  
S: 1

If his correlation between fitness and strength was true, then these stats made no sense. He was stronger than Sakuraba but Otawara could bench-press 5g more than him. What did F and S mean then?

In class, he copied notes with one hand and skimmed through the notebook with the other. In the locker room, he compared each team’s offense and defense to see if there was a connection. (There wasn’t.) On the field, he had to put it away to do his regular warm-ups but his mind still flickered to the almost familiar handwriting. Hadn’t he seen it somewhere before?

“Hey, Shin, you alright?” Sakuraba asked between breathes, forcing himself to jog faster to maintain speaking distance. “You’ve been even quieter than usual.”

He hadn’t noticed. “I’ve been thinking.”

It took a minute for his running partner to catch his breath enough to question, “What about?”

Shin hesitated. He knew that he had been invading the privacy of the owner of the notebook, even if he couldn’t make sense of it. But, that didn’t mean he was going to reveal his discovery to someone else. But then, what if it belonged to Sakuraba?

“Did you by any chance lose a notebook?” He replied instead, not winded in the slightest.

Sakuraba opted to shake his head, panting.

“I found one.” Shin considered his options again before giving in. “Inside it are the names of football players and people related to high school football, with stats of some kind.”

“Football players, like Ojo?” The other teen asked in amazement, “Am I in it?”

“Yes. Your stats are F 1 and S 4.” Hopefully, he knew what the letters meant.

His blonde eyebrows furrowed, wet with sweat. “F? S? What does that mean?”

Shin almost sighed in disappointment. “I don’t know. It’s what I’m trying to figure out. If I can determine what they mean, maybe I can find the original owner and return it.”

Sakuraba nodded again, starting to trail behind as his breathing grew labored. They were ahead of the rest of the team by a good four meters. Shin shook his head; he was slacking off because of his inquisitiveness. It wasn’t like him. He needed to focus for the next game.

On his walk home, he kept the white notebook in his bag as to not give into temptation. It was a pointless gesture; he had memorized its contents. Belatedly, he remembered he hadn’t asked anyone else besides Sakuraba if they had lost a notebook.

 

Sena trudged alongside Mamori after practice had ended for the day. She had explained what had happened after making sure the girl she considered a sister wouldn’t tell a soul, especially their Captain. Mamori was more determined than normal to aggravate Hiruma; Sena supposed she was responsible for that.

During the week previous, Mamori had run into Hiruma and Sena as they were leaving the library. The older girl had stayed behind to help some struggling classmates with their homework and ‘offered’ to take over walking Sena home. Before Hiruma had a chance to protest, Mamori grabbed Sena by the arm and dragged her away.

Sena explained they had been about to go to Hiruma’s house to rest. But that’s all, she insisted.

She had never seen Mamori’s face drain and then fill with color so fast.

The next day at school, Mamori had engaged Hiruma in a scream fight so fierce they had to evacuate three adjacent classrooms to avoid stray bullets and accidental blunt force trauma injuries via broom.

Since then, to Hiruma’s obvious distaste, Mamori refused to let Sena out of her sight unless absolutely necessary.

The secret of notebook was definitely safe with her.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find it,” Mamori assured. They were walking slowly, looking behind trashcans and grass patches for any hints of paper. “And you coded it, so it’s not like anyone can read it. That was very clever of you, by the way.”

“Thanks, Mamo-nee, but it’s not that. I used that notebook to track my feelings; it’s like a way to balance myself. Now that I lost it…” Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t even control a stack of paper.”

“We’ll find it,” Mamori repeated, taking her by the hand. “Let’s keep looking.”

 

Riku:  
F: 1  
S: 5

Kid:  
F: 2  
S: 4

Tetsuma:  
F: 2  
S: 4

"Buffalo" Ushijima:  
F: 4  
S: 1

Shin had failed. He had been determined to not look at the notebook again. As he neared the spot where he had found it, his hand reached for it without thinking. The handwriting seemed to taunt him, like the answer was right there for him to see but he couldn’t quite make it out.

Allowing himself a frustrated sigh, he forced the notebook back into his bag and walked faster. A run after he finished his assigned homework would clear his head.

 

Mamori stayed over at Sena’s house for a few hours to help her with an upcoming project but had to leave as the sun started to set.

“Let me walk you home, Mamo-nee,” Sena offered, standing up as well.

“It’s fine,” the older girl retorted. Stretching as she got up, she shook out her honey-blonde hair. “You need to finish your assignment. I’m sorry I can’t stay to help you.”

Sena stared at her art project, specifically Mamori’s additions with a smile that was both pained and excessively fond. “Thanks, but you’ve done more than enough and I wanted to go for a quick jog before it got too late.”

Mamori frowned as she laced her shoes. “I don’t think it’s very safe for you to jog alone.”

“Don’t worry, I meet up with Shin-san and we pair up for most of the run,” Sena replied with assurance, slipping on her running shoes as well. They strolled down the sidewalk, at ease in each other’s familiar company.

“Shin…” Mamori murmured. “Isn’t he that football player from Ojo? The one that always gives Eyeshield 21 a hard time?”

Sena swallowed to ease her dry throat. “Yes.”

“He meets up to jog with you?”

Sena began to sweat a little. “Yes, when we can.”

“I see.” Mamori seemed to consider this for a few minutes, during which Sena felt her heartrate reach unhealthy levels. Then she smiled. “What a nice boy, offering to keep you company. I’m sure no one has bothered you with him around, have they?”

“No!” Sena agreed, too loudly and lowered her voice. “I’m very safe with him.”

She nodded. “That’s good. Tell him I said thank you for watching over you while I’m not around, won’t you?”

They had reach her house and after a quick goodbye hug, Sena raced off to her habitual jogging route, feeling drained as if she had already run her laps.

 

Shin was looking forward to training with Eyeshield 21, or Sena as she insisted to be called in public. One would have to be a fool not to see the resemblance of Sena’s musculature to that of Eyeshield 21, and there was the confusion of her gender as a player. It wasn’t his business so he didn’t bother to correct anyone.

A small part of him enjoyed having her attention to himself during their runs and if her secret was revealed, that privacy would end. They spoke freely with one another, unburdened by expectations or perceptions. It was comforting to know his rival was such a genuine person, aside from her hidden identity. Their discussions helped him clear his mind and they were always enlightening.

Once, she had invited him over to her best friend Monta’s house where she proceeded to teach him how to play a video game. (Without destroying it, an accomplishment that shocked his teammates in to a stupor. Sakuraba looked faint.). He had been surprised to find how enjoyable spending time not exercising had been, but that could also have been due to their close proximity. He had retained an odd urge to pull her close when she was near, an impulse he expected to be a hindrance or a help on the field. Only time would tell.

For now, he could use her help in the matter of decoding the notebook and finding its owner.

 

Sena jogged down the path by the river, examining the sides as she did. It was around here that she thought she might have stopped to retie her shoelaces. Her sweater had big pockets so her notebook might have slipped out. She was stupid for bringing it, but some part of her had envisioned Hiruma sneaking into her bedroom and scrounging through her stuff. How else did he get his extortion material?

Her eyes flew open wide as she realized she could ask Shin to help her search. He had incredible eyesight and he was super determined in whatever task he took on. There was no way it could be on this path and not found if the two of them looked together.

She grinned and sped up.

 

At a distance, Shin saw Eyeshield 21 approach. He kept his pace steady despite an irrational urge to speed up to meet her. After accidentally spear-tackling Sakuraba, he didn’t want to take any risks involving his chasing instincts.

Good, now they could figure out this notebook business once and for all.

 

“Shin-san!” Sena greeted, sliding to a stop a couple feet in front of him.

“Sena-san,” Shin replied, his tone sedate unless you knew him well enough to detect a hint of excitement in his expression.

“I need your help,” they said simultaneously.

Sena blinked and Shin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What?” They both asked.

Sena’s face began to flush and Shin tilted his head, gesturing for her to speak first.

“I- Sorry, I wanted to ask you if you’d mind looking with me for something,” she explained, pressing a hand to her warm cheek. She would insist he talk first but once Shin decided, it was impossible to change his mind.

One of his eyebrows tugged upwards. “What did you lose?”

Ducking her head, she smiled wryly. “A notebook. It’s small, about pocket-sized and-”

“White?” Shin asked, cutting her off.

Her hand dropped to her side. “Yeah, how did you know?”

Without a word, Shin removed the notebook from his pocket and held it out to her.

Sena regarded at it in disbelief before gazing up at him in awe. “You found it!”

He nodded, unsure of how to phrase his next question. This was not what he expected. _What were the chances of it belonging to my rival?_ She continued to stare at him until he gestured for her to take it.

“Oh, right.” Sena laughed, hurrying forward.

They both jerked when her fingers brushed against his as she grabbed it and a hush fell over them.

Flipping through the pages, she exhaled the tension that had been troubling her all day. It was all there. Her gaze was grateful when it returned to him. Softly but ardently, she said, “Thank you so much, Shin-san. You don’t know what this means to me.”

He stood firm despite the increasing warmth he felt in his chest. “The letters,” he burst out. “What do they mean?”

Sena was grinning quietly to herself when she froze in realization. “Oh! The letters. S and F?” She took an uneasy step back. “They mean, uh, they mean Safety and Fear. You- You read it then?”

Shin’s troubled expression cleared and she could hear his comprehension. “Yes, I apologize for the intrusion but I have many questions.” He faltered, a sight she had seen only a handful of times. “The numbers under my name. I had wondered…”

There was a very real debate going on between Sena’s fight or flight instincts. Her heart thumped an uncomfortable rhythm in her chest. _What were the chances of him finding my notebook?_ _Is this fate?_ Part of her was beyond embarrassed but another, larger part didn’t seem to mind.

Swallowing, she cleared her throat before she spoke. “Even though you’re my rival and you’re a source of a lot of pain,” she paused to touch her ribs with a faint wince, “I'm safer around you than afraid.”

On one hand, Shin understood completely. It was logical to be wary of a stronger opponent. On the other, that she felt at ease in his presence despite that… He raised a hand to his face, feeling it burn.

Sena felt her mouth fall open _. He’s blushing! He- But- Shin can’t do that?! No, of course, he can, I have never… Wow._

Her lips hurt as she struggled not to smile but she couldn’t keep it in and laughed. “Shin-san, ready to run?”

“Yes,” he replied gratefully, “Please.”

She chuckled again and they sprinted down the path.

 

Once he had gotten himself back under control, Shin’s mouth thinned as he recalled the many, many other names in the notebook with his new found knowledge. Perhaps he had been wrong to feel guilty about spear-tackling Sakuraba. As he considered this, he decided he had been too lenient on several of his opponents.

His eyes narrowed.

Much too lenient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorta ooc, but it fits with the genderswap. My personal headcanon is that Fem!Sena was coddled a little more and has a tendency to call people she feels close to by sorta cutesy nice names, like Mamo-nee or Mizuma-nii. But only if she’s super comfortable with them to be less than formal. Mamori practically raised her since she was young so that nickname stuck from way back then. For others, like Riku, she calls him by –nii as well but mostly because he insisted when they were little and she’s a people pleaser so she did as he asked. She does see him as a brotherly figure, probably more than the original Sena, but also as someone she wants to make proud and be on even terms with. (He kinda bro-zoned himself lmao. He has Regret but he's working on changing his status.) 
> 
> Also, I know I don't always write "-san" or "-chan" or the like unless I'm making a point, because I think it looks sort of clunky. Just assume it's there, okay? Okay.
> 
> ALSO, quick question: I’ve read the Huh-Huh Brothers/Ha-Ha Brothers being called by both names so what’s the truth.


End file.
